I know
this is kind of crazy and maybe people don’t talk about this kind of stuff…
maybe because we are embarrassed, it doesn’t fit into what everyone else is
doing.
Recently
I have taken on this crazy “Minimalism Lifestyle”.
I have
been reviewing all the stuff in my life… getting rid of a lot of it. I have “blessed” people with waffle irons,
grills & fire pits at low prices, the local thrift store will make some
money for their causes due to my addiction to “keeping up with the Jones’s”.
First let
me tell you, I know some Jones’s and they aren’t the kind of people I need to
keep up with, except in kindness.
What a
dummy. I bought stuff I didn’t need with
money I should have used for something else.
So
dumb.
I like
to live a life of generosity. My heart is to support ministries, missionaries, and
needs of others.
And
yet.
I still
have too much stuff. I mean like so much
stuff. No one should easily be able to
give away the following:
November 2018: 255+ things (I
stopped counting at 255 things but gave away more than that)
January 2019: 150 +
March: 30 (it was a busy month
30 things was my goal)
April 2019: 600+ things
May 2019: 255 things and I am not done!
Yes I
counted it all!! It was the craziest
thing.
I am
really looking at why I bought things, and why I am keeping things! Does
it bring value to my life? Am I keeping
it “just in case” or “just for when”?
Just
for when is like Christmas or Summer, just in case is like worrying about
things that may or may not happen.
Yes, I
have 4 roasters, and yes, I use them all. I also have a lot of crockpots but I
use them all.
I am
working on saving, paying off debit.
Paying my car off faster, working to pay off my mortgage faster (I have
heard that there are only two countries in the world that ALLOW people to get
30 year mortgages!!! Denmark and the
US! You know why? Banks get so much
interest in the first 15 years!!)
I’m
also working on increasing my 401K. My
goal is to add 1% to my contribution rate every quarter. I won’t notice the reduction in my paycheck
little by little –also going to put my merit increase (if I get one) into my
401K I won’t even miss it if I never have it!
To be
honest, I started way too late putting away money for my 401K, I started way
too late to not buy things.
Don’t
be mad if your kids get books from me instead of toys, or diapers at baby
showers instead of stuff. Don’t’ be mad
if I invite you over for dinner and a walk, instead of going out to eat (I’m
not saying I won’t – I just might). I
know it is a different way of thinking but I want to live a different kind of
life.
In
evaluating all these things, I am finding how unhealthy some of my thinking is
in all the areas of my life and working on being a healthier me! Spend less, save more, give more generously!
I’m
willing to talk to anyone who has questions!
Soon I
will be talking about my experience with mental health… God be with us all!
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